The present description relates generally to data storage devices and methods, including, without limitation, asymmetric voltage ramp rate control.
Flash memory enjoys a number of advantages over other types of storage devices. Flash memory generally offers faster read access times and better shock resistance than a hard disk drive (HDD). Unlike dynamic random access memory (DRAM), flash memory is non-volatile, meaning that data stored in a flash storage device is not lost when power to the device is removed. These advantages, and others, may explain the increasing popularity of flash memory for storage applications in devices such as memory cards, USB flash drives, mobile phones, digital cameras, mass storage devices, MP3 players and the like.
Flash memory utilizes memory cells (e.g., single-level cells (SLC), multi-level cells (MLC), triple-level cells (TLC) and/or quad-level cells (QLC)) to store data as electrical values, such as electrical charges or voltages. As flash memory continues to grow in storage density to meet increasing demand for data storage, flash memory designs have continued to grow in complexity to adapt to the expected reliability and endurance of MLC, TLC, QLC, and even higher density memory cells. The value of the device peak current during storage operations in flash memory is an important metric for power management of flash memory.